Outdoor Product of the Month: Eco Vessel

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by Sam Stephens |May 11, 2017

Throughout our Scrubba Journey we’ve come to realise that there’s no better feeling than sharing our practical, lightweight and eco-friendly products with like-minded travellers around the world. Whether you’re looking for a simpler way of doing laundry on the go, or are seeking a convenient solution for being without laundry facilities altogether, we like to think we can help you out with our clean, light and free philosophy. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that we love testing and sharing practical items from other innovators who are striving to simplify travel with lightweight and environmentally-friendly products.

This month’s product is Eco Vessel, a light, durable and, as the name suggests, eco-friendly solution for all those travellers who just can’t go without their morning coffee or evening herbal tea. This greatly appealed to us coffee addicts here at the Scrubba, so we decided to put a few of the Eco Vessel products to the test, drawing on both our passion for hot beverages and our wealth of travelling experience.

The Products:

Although we love a challenge, the Eco Vessel range is simply too vast for us to review in its entirety. As an alternative, we’ve chosen three products that provide a nice sample of the Eco Vessel Range. These products allowed us to get a feel for the different colours and sizes offered by Eco Vessel, along with the various convenience of carrying and storing the range for travel. To see which one best suits your style, read about our own journey with Eco Vessel below.

The first thing that struck me about what can only be described as this simply colossal bottle, was its weight. At 12.7 x 12.7 x 29.2cm (5 x 5 x 11.5”), and with its sturdy stainless steel body, I expected to be weighed down quite significantly by this monster, aptly dubbed BOSS. I was therefore shocked at how lightweight the product actually was, weighing in at a mere 880g (~2lbs). That being said, at ~2.2kg (4.8lbs) when full, the BOSS is certainly not something I could lug around whilst travelling or backpacking. For camping or road trips, however, this growler could prove to make its owner very popular, especially when filled with some chilled beer or steaming coffee to be shared out during long, chilly nights. Afraid the insulation isn’t up to scratch? We filled the BOSS with boiling water, left it at a room temperature of around 15°C (59°F), and returned to it 24 hours later. We were pleasantly surprised to measure the temperature in at a balmy 40°C (104°F), and couldn’t wait to put the BOSS’s promise to protect our beverages from slightly harsher elements, to the test. Scrubba team-member, Dhruv, took the BOSS on his camping adventure over the weekend, and had this to say about it:

In the outdoors, the BOSS held up, quite simply, like a boss. It was awesome to be able to stave off the chill by keeping our drinks warm for hours on end. The insulation is more than sufficient. Definitely recommended for outdoor trips that don't involve too much hiking!

So all in all, this product certainly made Dhruv the boss of the campsite. Of course, when you’re in charge of steaming tea and hot chocolate rations on endless, frosty nights, you win the admiration of your fellow travellers by default. But, aside from becoming the undisputed king of the campsite, there’s a whole host of other reasons to love the BOSS, including:

Not much of a camper, but an avid traveller and backpacker, this sleeker, slimmer bottle is more my style, especially as it carries all the features that enabled us to fall in love with the BOSS. The 18/8 stainless steel, the Trimax Triple Insulation, the carrying strap, the recyclable and non-toxic material, the leak-proof dual opening lid, the removable ice, tea, or fruit strainer, and the compatibility with the flip straw lid, render this bottle every bit as durable, safe, and versatile as the BOSS. However, at only 8.89 x 8.89 x 26.03cm (3.5 x 3.5 x 10.25”), and weighing ~1.43kg (~3.15lbs) when full, the reduced bulk and weight of this bottle make it an ideal companion on backpacking or hiking trips, especially as its sleek body allows for easy storage in rucksack pockets, whilst its durable carry strap enables efficient clipping or tying onto bag belts and straps. Although we didn’t personally test them out, the Boulder bottle is also available in 600ml and 700ml versions for the lightweight, solo explorer. We love the Boulder for its bright, vivid colours and slim design, and are happy to report that it fared just as well as the BOSS out in the field.

Fashioned like a beer barrel but equipped with the sturdy handle of a tea or coffee mug, the Double Barrel Mug promises to keep hot drinks hot and cold drinks cold thanks to its double wall insulation. Sure enough, after six hours in our office, water that had gone in boiling still measured in at a reasonably warm 30°C (86°F). At 12.7cm high and 8.9cm in diameter (5” x 3.5”), and weighing in at ~826g (~1.82lbs) when full, the Double Barrel Insulated Mug seems like the perfect companion for all minimalist travellers, made from the same durable and safe materials as the other Eco Vessel products, and equipped with a handy open/close slider lid to reduce the risk of spills. Always enthusiastic about lightweight, environmentally-friendly products that claim to contribute to the ever growing travel industry, I took the Double Barrel Insulated Mug along on my morning commute to see how it fared on a bumpy ride and a chilly morning:

Rubbing the last dregs of sleep from my blurry eyes, I brewed my first coffee of the day. Instead of draining it in my usual three gulps and spending my last minute at home desperately attempting to rehabilitate my scalded throat, I deposited the steaming contents directly into the Double Barrel Insulated Mug before dashing out to catch my morning train. Storage options when full are a little tricky, as the lid is not leak-proof and the handle prevents compatibility with most cup holders. Thankfully, I only have a minute or two in the car and was thus able to nestle the mug between my thighs whilst enjoying its radiating warmth and the wafting scent of a fresh brew. To my deep satisfaction, the mug proved to be a great addition to my usually tedious wait on the platform, staving off the chill better than my thick shawl and earning me more than a few envious glances from fellow commuters. The handle was easy and comfortable to grip, the serving size was more than adequate for your average commute, the slider was easy and convenient to drink from, and the lid, whilst not leak-proof, was certainly sufficient for keeping my coffee safely inside its mug throughout my hour-long, bumpy trip. The contents were still deliciously warm at the end of my journey and, thanks to the slow caffeine release I’d been enjoying throughout my commute, for once I actually felt alert and ready to begin a productive day. At the office I simply washed the mug out with some warm, soapy water, as per the attached instructions, and then refilled it at the end of the day with a calming peppermint tea guaranteed to see me through the stressful bustle of the outbound commute. A little difficult to store when full, but lightweight and easy to hold, the Double Barrel Insulated Mug is the perfect companion for short commutes and is absolutely necessary for those who, like me, prioritise their last minutes of sleep over preparation for the day ahead and find themselves dashing out the door as a result.

From handy travel mugs and triple insulated growlers, to filtration bottles and kids’ “sippy” cups, Eco Vessel will cover all your hydration needs in a broad range of colours and sizes. Beat dehydration and ensure that the only things you leave behind on your travels are your footprints, with this impressive range of sturdy, eco-friendly drinking vessels, guaranteed to keep your coffee hot and your beer ice cold for hours at a time.